Processing early vote requests

It’s only the middle of August, but already Oconee’s election office has received 3,500 applications from voters who want to cast their November ballot through the mail.  Perhaps, this is a sign of Oconee voters’ interest this year in electing a president.  Joy Scharich, elections director, recommends that those who can qualify to vote absentee and wish to vote through […]

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Charles Acker

    Westminster– Charles Acker, 85, husband of Elizabeth Stokes, passed away, August 12, 2020 at Rainey Hospice House.   Born in Travelers Rest, SC, he was the son of the late Charles Clinton and Kathryn Bledsoe Acker. Charles was a former Vice President of Finance for Carteret General Hospital and a member St. Luke United Methodist Church. Charles was […]

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Seneca shooting suspect moved to local jail

    A suspect in a late July shooting in Seneca has been moved to the Oconee jail—after having been apprehended in a motel room in Cherokee, North Carolina.  Chief John Covington of the Seneca Police said this about the case his department is pursuing against Kendal Ann Ellis:  “As far as anyone else being charged, that is still under […]

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Today’s South Carolina COVID-19 numbers

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) today announced 907 new confirmed cases and 27 new probable cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, 35 additional confirmed deaths and 11 new probable deaths. One new Oconee death reported, that of an elderly resident who died August 8.  DHEC is also projecting a “probable” Oconee COVID-19 death, based on […]

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Wastewater data reveal Greenville infections

Data being analyzed by Clemson University show a significant level of COVID-19 infections in Greenville County residents.  Today’s announcement by the non-profit Renewable Water Resources states the program started in early June to test SARS-CoV-2 levels will continue with tests through the end of the year.  SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19.  Renewable Water Resources collects samples twice a […]

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Proud moment next week for the public schools

Invitations are going out for a ribbon-cutting ceremony next week for the Oconee School District’s newest education building–the Hamilton Career and Technology Center on highway 11.  The ceremony will be Thursday morning, August 20 at the campus.  The facility is to be ready for the new school year, scheduled to start the following Monday, the 24th.  For those attending the […]

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A mixed bag of economic news

The director of South Carolina Employment and Workforce is hailing a milestone.  First-time claims came in last week under 6,000.  That was a decrease of nearly 3,000 claims from the prior week.  But Dan Ellzey says it’s important to keep in mind that fewer than 6,000 new filers is three times higher than the weekly totals before the pandemic.  Oconee’s […]

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Build America by answering the Census

  The push is on to ensure that all Americans are counted in this year’s census.  By ignoring your responsibility to be counted, you not only hurt yourself but your community as well—including hospitals, schools, public transportation, and other parts of the fabric of our lives.  An undercount is likely to cost your community a slice of the dollars that […]

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Masks work, says the state epidemiologist

DHEC has new data that show mask laws help slow the spread of COVID-19. As of this week, according to the state’s health agency, nearly 40%, or about two million South Carolinians, live in jurisdictions that have local mask requirements.  Those jurisdictions with mask requirements have seen an overall decrease of 15.1% of total cases for the four weeks after […]

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Duke Foundation benefits local non-profits

Seneca’s Blue Ridge Community Center and the Clemson Area African American Museum are among South Carolina non-profits to benefit from employee-directed grants committed for social justice and racial equity.  Each will get $5 thousand from yesterday’s Duke Energy Foundation announcement that there’s as much as $200 thousand for non-profits statewide.  Overall, the $200 thousand is part of a $1 million […]

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